The Strongest Student of the Weakest Academy-Chapter 85: Interlude: Snow Festival (II)

After stepping out of the student council room, I was immediately met with a wave of burning gazes.

...Right.

Violet really does have a lot of admirers, huh?

Some students in line had their mouths slightly open, their eyes darting between me and the closed office door like they had just witnessed a crime.

Others were whispering to each other, their expressions ranging from confusion to jealousy.

One guy near the front—probably a noble—crossed his arms, his brows furrowed.

"Tch. Favoritism," he muttered under his breath.

Another student, a girl with short blonde hair, gave me a long, suspicious stare.

"...What exactly were you doing in there with the student council president?" she asked sharply, glaring at me.

I sighed.

"Signing up for festival events."

That was it.

That was all.

Nothing more, nothing less.

But judging by the way some of these students were looking at me, I might as well have walked out of there carrying Violet in my arms.

Another girl, standing a few steps away, narrowed her eyes.

"Then why did she personally pull you inside?"

"Because she’s annoying," I said flatly.

Gasps.

Actual gasps.

You’d think I had just insulted royalty.

A red-haired boy standing nearby scoffed, his arms crossed.

"You’re saying the great Violet Von Luxuria, the student council president, the genius of the academy, is just… annoying?"

"Yes."

More gasps.

A few of them looked at me like I had personally declared war.

The blonde girl, still glaring at me, shook her head.

"Unbelievable! You should consider yourself lucky!"

I frowned.

"Lucky for what?"

"To even be in her presence! Violet Von Luxuria is admired by everyone. She’s beautiful, talented, and respected. And yet, she chose to drag you into her office!"

A guy next to her nodded.

"Yeah! Do you know how many people in this school would kill for that?"

I blinked.

’Those are some hardcore fans...’

"...That sounds excessive."

"It isn’t!"

I looked around at the crowd of students still waiting in line. Some of them were nodding. Others just kept staring at me, still clearly trying to process what they had just seen.

This was a waste of time.

I turned on my heel, planning to leave. I already finished what I came here for. There was no reason to stand around listening to these people go on about Violet.

But as I walked past the crowd, I heard one last voice.

A whisper.

"...Do you think they’re secretly dating?"

I kept walking.

Not worth my time.

Not worth my energy.

Instead, I decided to head toward the Headmistress’s office.

Yup.

I was going to meet Eleonora.

I had been holding back for a long time already. If I wanted to get stronger even faster than my current speed…

I needed to awaken my second element.

The moment I saw that my chances of getting the Void element had increased, I almost rushed to awaken it right then and there.

But things kept getting in the way.

But now?

I had nothing to do except wait for the Snow Festival.

No more delays.

I was going to awaken my second element today.

Step...

Reaching the Headmistress’s door, I paused for a second. My hand hovered just above the wood, ready to knock.

But I knew Eleonora too well.

There was no point.

Click.

I pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Then, without missing a beat, I closed it shut behind me.

A soft giggle immediately greeted me.

"Oh my~... Did my dear Aestrea finally decide to visit his future Master?"

Eleonora’s voice was playful like she had been waiting for this moment.

She didn’t even seem surprised that I had entered her personal workroom without knocking.

She didn’t scold me.

She didn’t raise an eyebrow.

Instead, she just smiled, resting her chin on her hand as if she had predicted this all along.

Her long, purple hair cascaded over her shoulders, shining under the glow of the enchanted lamps in the room.

Her bright blue eyes sparkled with amusement.

"…Future Master?"

Her smile widened.

But, she kept her mouth shut nonetheless.

I sighed, walking forward.

"You didn’t even ask why I’m here."

She smirked.

"Do I need a reason to enjoy a visit from my favorite student?"

I rolled my eyes at her.

She just laughed.

"So~? What brings my little moon to me today?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.

Little moon...?

Is that a new nickname for me?

Gosh...

I hesitated for a second, after all, I rejected being her disciple, but now, I was here to ask help from her to awaken my second element.

Honestly, I could simply spend money and ask some other official mage to help me awaken it, but... if it was Eleonora...

The chances of getting a stronger element were increased by a lot.

Especially since our bodies were perfectly compatible with each other.

Then, I finally met her gaze.

"I need your help with something."

Her brows lifted just a little as her lips curled up.

"Oh?"

I nodded.

"I want you to help me awaken my second element."

She gave me a slow, thoughtful look.

Then, suddenly, she smiled.

"Well, then~… Shall we begin?"

—

Snap.

The air trembled as Eleonora flicked her fingers.

Behind her, one of the tall bookshelves rumbled, shifting backward.

A soft, violet glow traced the edges of the wall as the bookshelf slid to the side, revealing a dark passageway hidden behind it.

I narrowed my eyes.

"…You had a secret passage behind your bookshelf?"

Eleonora giggled.

"Of course. What kind of Headmistress would I be if I didn’t have at least one hidden chamber?"

Classic.

She turned, stepping into the staircase.

Without hesitation, I followed.

The tunnel was lined with glowing blue runes, casting strange patterns along the stone walls. The air was thick with magic, almost humming with energy.

We walked in silence for a few minutes before reaching the end—a massive, reinforced door made of some kind of shimmering metal.

Eleonora placed her palm on it, and the runes flickered, pulsing like a heartbeat.

Creak.

The door groaned as it slowly opened, revealing the chamber beyond.

It was breathtaking.

An enormous underground hall stretched before us, its ceiling high and arched like a cathedral.

In the center of the room was a colossal magic circle, inscribed with symbols I barely recognized.

At the very heart of the formation sat a massive, floating orb, swirling with pure magical energy.

I exhaled deeply.

"This is…"

Eleonora stepped forward, gesturing grandly.

"This, my little moon, is my own Awakening Chamber."

The orb pulsed, casting a soft glow over the chamber. The magic circles beneath it shimmered, waiting.

She turned to me, her smile turning almost mischievous.

"So~ shall we get started?"

I nodded.

"Step into the center of that glowing circle over there," Eleonora pointed towards the circle, and I slowly walked towards it.

Thrum...!

The air itself seemed heavier, as if the very room was waiting for something to happen.

I could feel the potent mana flowing through the magic circle.

"Just relax," Eleonora said softly, standing at the edge of the magic formation.

"Let the magic flow naturally. Don’t resist it."

Easier said than done.

The moment I stepped into the center, the giant orb above the circle pulsed with power.

A low humming sound filled the air.

Then, suddenly—

WHOOSH!

The entire chamber was swallowed by a bright, white blinding glow.

It was overwhelming, almost suffocating, as an unseen force pulled at every fiber of my being.

I clenched my teeth, feeling the strange sensation of something deep within me being drawn out.

It wasn’t painful, but it was... intense.

Like something ancient was awakening inside me.

BZZZT!

CRACKLE!

Strange, flickering lights surrounded me, shifting between deep purple, abyssal black, and bright silver streaks.

The air felt electric, vibrating with an unusually strong mana.

Eleonora’s eyes widened.

Her usual teasing expression was gone, replaced by something serious, something almost... concerned.

"This..." she muttered under her breath.

"What is this...?"

The light only grew stronger.

FWOOOOSH!

A huge surge of energy exploded outward.

The magic circle beneath my feet trembled as sparks danced across the symbols.

My whole body felt weightless for a second—no, not weightless.

As if I were somewhere else entirely.

Like I had one foot in this world... and one foot outside of it.

Then, just as suddenly as it started, the glow vanished.

BAM.

A sharp silence filled the room.

I was still standing.

The air was still thick with residual energy.

And yet... something felt off.

Eleonora was staring at me, her expression unreadable. I opened my mouth to ask her what happened, but before I could say anything, she spoke first.

"Strange..."

I blinked.

"What?"

She frowned slightly, tapping her chin in thought.

"There’s no second element."

Silence stretched between us.

I stared at her, waiting for her to say something else. Anything else.

"That light," she continued, glancing at the fading glow around us, "was most likely just a reaction from your high-quality mana."

Just a reaction?

I furrowed my brows.

That... that couldn’t be right.

I felt something awaken inside me.

I knew something had changed.

And yet, Eleonora, one of the strongest mages in the world, couldn’t identify it?

"So I don’t have a second element?"

I asked slowly, trying to process everything.

Eleonora crossed her arms, watching me carefully.

"Most likely not. But..." She trailed off, before shaking her head with a small smile. "Well, you’re still my adorable little moon. With or without a second element."

’...Why? Why don’t I have a second element?!’

Before I could say anything else, Eleonora took a step forward, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder.

"Say," she said, tilting her head.

"Since you’re already coming to me for help... why not make it official?"

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I stiffened.

"For the fourth time now," she continued with a teasing lilt, "become my disciple."

I sighed.

"You’re persistent."

"Of course." She smiled playfully.

"A talent like yours shouldn’t go to waste, after all."

I was about to reject her again, just like the previous times.

But this time...

I hesitated.

I wasn’t sure why, but something in me told me to think about it.

To at least consider it.

After a moment, I met her gaze.

"I’ll... reconsider it. After a while."

Eleonora blinked.

Her mouth parted slightly.

She seemed completely shocked by my words.

Then, slowly, her smile widened.

"Oh my, what a rare response. I was expecting a straight rejection." She chuckled softly.

"Well then, I’ll be waiting, my little moon."

I let out a breath, shaking my head before turning towards the door

. "I’ll be going now."

"Come visit me anytime~," Eleonora called out as I left.

The second the door closed behind me, I let out a deep breath.

Something was off.

I could feel it in my bones.

Then—

CRACK!

A dark panel suddenly appeared in front of me, forming from thin air. Faint white cracks spread across its surface like veins of lightning.

My breath hitched for a moment.

In the center of the panel, glowing words slowly appeared one by one.

〖 ✦ New Element Awakened... ✦ 〗

〖 ✦ Congratulations on obtaining the affinity... ✦ 〗

〖 ✦ Time ✦ 〗

[Your mana has increased a small rank.]

[Your spirit has successfully breakthrough into the SS- rank.]

[Your mental fortitude has significantly increased.]

[Judgement Eye has reached the S+ rank.]

[You can now manipulate Time Magic.]

I was beyond speechless.